1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communications apparatus and methods, particularly to computer networking apparatus and methods, and more particularly to computer networking apparatus and methods for balancing data flow therethrough.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
A common problem in communication networks is maintaining efficient utilization of network resources, particularly with regard to bandwidth, so that data traffic is efficiently distributed over the available links between sources and destinations. Prior art solutions include apparatus and methods that balance data traffic over homogeneous (same-speed) links between heterogeneous or homogeneous computing platforms (servers, clients, etc.). Increasingly, high-performance computing platforms communicate with other computers, routers, switches, and the like, using multiple links which, for a variety of reasons, may operate at disparate link speeds. For example, a server may communicate with other devices using a combination of new and legacy network cards, thus producing a heterogeneous-link-speed environment; or adverse network conditions may degrade the performance of one or more links, effectively presenting a heterogeneous-link-speed environment to the server and its link partner(s). What is needed is a method to dynamically balance transmission unit traffic in a heterogeneous-link-speed environment, and an apparatus and computer program product therefor.